Filed under: 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show, Wagon, Europe, Videos, Skoda
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If you were to surmise that Skoda is to Volkswagen as Mercury was to Ford, Plymouth was to Chrysler or Lancia is to Fiat, you wouldn’t be far off. It’s not quite luxury but not really sporty either, and it doesn’t have many stand-alone products. But the Rapid is an exception.
While most of the Skoda lineup is shared with Volkswagen, the Rapid is a unique model that’s twinned only with the Seat Toledo. It sits in between the Fabia (Skoda’s version of the VW Polo) and the Golf-based Octavia, and creates sort of a niche unto itself.
Skoda calls this version of the Rapid the Spaceback, but we’re not quite sure why. Because despite its name and extended roofline, the Rapid Spaceback actually has less cargo space than the sedan on which it’s based: while the sedan offers 19 cubic feet of storage with the rear seats in place or 53 folded flat, the Spaceback cuts that down to less than 15 and 49 cubic feet, respectively.
So we’re not entirely sure why Skoda made it at all. What it does offer, however, is more glass: there’s a larger rear window and a panoramic roof panel - both optional - so while the Spaceback and notchback versions are both essentially hatchbacks, this new model does let more light in. At least, if customers tick the right boxes. Whether that’s enough to justify its existence is another question, but we invite you to delve into the live and stock image galleries above and below and the press release underneath and determine for yourself.
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Continue reading Skoda Rapid Spaceback lacks space in back [w/video]
Skoda Rapid Spaceback lacks space in back [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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